Missing
by StarKayak
Summary: Starling City is smoldering as Oliver returns to his hideout. He is still shaken from the death of his friend Tommy Merlyn. The police were summoned to retrieve Malcolm Merlyn's body, but when they arrive on the roof, the body of the Dark Archer is missing.


Missing

"They couldn't find his body!" Oliver slammed his fist on the door frame as he strode into the room. Small pieces of the ceiling tiles dislodged by the earthquake still littered the floor. He kicked one aside as he made his way in. "The police said Malcolm's body was not on the roof.

John Diggle and Felicity Smoak turned from their seats by the bank of computers, the blue light playing off their faces in the darkened room.

"He had henchmen," Diggle said as he rose from his seat. "They could have moved the body after we left."

"Or he's still alive."

"No way he could have survived that, Oliver," insisted Diggle as the young man met them at the computer bank. "He was coughing blood, damn it. Those eyes…those were dead eyes."

"So where's the body?" Oliver jammed his hands into his pockets. "I didn't check for a pulse before we left to get Laurel…before Tommy…" Oliver's face saddened as he looked into the distance. "His father, for god's sake, I had to kill his father."

John moved closer and put an arm around Oliver's shoulders. "I'm sorry about Tommy, I really am. But Malcolm was crazy. You had to stop him."

"I couldn't bring myself to tell him," Oliver said quietly. "I couldn't tell him I killed his father. I held my best friend in my arms, and he died not knowing I…"

"Enough," said Diggle as he pulled Oliver towards the empty chair next to them. "Sit. We have work to do. Felicity, what is the pattern of the accounts for Merlyn Global? Any indication of movement?"

"Seventy percent of the liquid assets were transferred to offshore accounts before the quake," Felicity noted as she scanned through the data flow. She glanced up at Oliver. "I assume that was the backup plan in case he was found out. No way to trace the money. No movement on the other thirty percent, just enough to operate the business. But now that Tommy is gone…" She looked away. "The police will confiscate it.

"There were others," Oliver said. "I couldn't see their faces, but he wasn't alone in the warehouse. Flunkies? Friends?" He began to type in his access codes.

"I don't understand why he let you live," puzzled Diggle as he watched the screens. "Certainly wasn't to his advantage."

"Maybe he wanted to gloat," Oliver said as he entered his code into the computer. "He was close with my mother at one time. Tommy and I grew up together. Maybe he left me to die. Hard to say." His computer accounts opened. "Looks like the wireless systems are still online." Images of the smoldering city lingered on the screen as news reports came in.

Felicity looked at him softly. "How's your mother?"

"Sitting in a cell," Oliver's eyes narrowed as he surfed the news channels. "Talking with her lawyer."

"Have you spoken to her?"

"No time," Oliver said quietly as he tapped in his password, and began to scroll through the backlog of email. "Later."

"How could she…" started Felicity. "How could she get mixed up with a man like that?"

Oliver leaned back in his chair and stretched. "He wasn't always like that. Before his wife died, he was like Dad. Well, not as much fun as Dad, but he was close to Tommy. He seemed like a good guy. But after his wife was murdered…he changed."

"But why did your mother…?"

"I don't know," Oliver said crossly. "How should I know? Thea thinks they had an affair. Who knows? Both my family and his have been in Starling City for several generations, my mom and he practically grew up together like me and Tommy." He took a deep breath. "Mom said my dad played around. Maybe she needed someone to talk to, you know, during the rough patches." Oliver continued to scroll through the emails and threw up his hands in exasperation. "Felicity, sift through this and forward me only the important ones. I don't have time for this."

Oliver stood up and walked behind Diggle. "Any indication of Malcolm on the police reports? I'm sure they are scouring the city for him. If they have his body, they'll let the public know. Everyone is looking for him. Check with Lance."

Diggle shook his head. "Detective Lance is still on suspension so he's out of the loop. Not all the reports are in, just the ones that go through wireless systems." He glanced up at Oliver. "You look beat, take a rest while Felicity and I scan these reports." Oliver hesitated as John glared at him. "Come on man, get some rest. You look like shit." He nodded towards the cot in the far corner. "Go. Get some shuteye."

Oliver reluctantly agreed and raked his hand through his hair. As he settled on the cot, he turned to face the wall and closed his eyes as the steady hum of the computer generators purred in the background. Soon he was fast asleep.

XXXXX

"He's coming around," muttered the doctor as he watched the man on the bed softly moan and shift. The doctor quickly took a syringe from the tray by the bed and injected the contents into the man's arm. His patient's body relaxed and the moan faded back into silence.

"A wound to the chest like that should have been fatal, the blood loss alone…" The doctor complained as he scrawled his update on the chart and handed it to the young man by the bedside. "Give him this medication if he has pain, otherwise keep the upper body elevated. Better circulation and the wound will heal quicker. Keep the room dark with just enough light to check the monitors. _He_ wants he rested before the interrogation. And put that sidearm out of sight. I know he wants him guarded, but don't be so damn obvious. Merlyn's not going anywhere."

The soldier nodded and secured the revolver behind his back for quick retrieval as he returned to his position at the side of the bed. The hours passed without incident. He questioned his commander's interest in the patient. They had gone to a lot of trouble to retrieve him from Starling City, flown the helicopter out under the radar as the city burned below them, then transferred to an intercontinental jet. Merlyn was a handsome man, squared jawed, and fit, but the commander had never shown interest in that way. So why was this one of important enough to bring him here, to their private hospital? Why risk detection for this one?

Malcolm's breathing was shallow, but regular. The monitors on the side of the bed beat a quiet rhythm as the light from the window faded. The shooting pain in his chest was replaced by a floating feeling as memories drifted by: playing with his six year old son on the water slide, teasing Rebecca about her many causes, then her smiles as he gave in to her requests, tracing her lips with his finger as he bent down to kiss his wife… The memories swirled and became darker: her voice pleading on the answering machine, the people walking by ignoring her pleas, the blinding pain of loss and knowing he failed her, the center of his life gone, no meaning, no hope. The pain returned as he tried to open his eyes. He tried to whisper, but the words caught in his throat. "Tommy?" He was back in the hospital bed in Starling City, trying to explain: Nanda Parbat, the return to purpose and meaning to his son, but Tommy's eyes were confused. He was afraid. "Tommy?"

A tall robed figured entered the room as the soldier snapped to attention. He approached the bed and idly glanced at monitors. The man on the bed moved slightly, rolling his head to the left as his face contorted from the tortured dreams.

"Wake him."

The young soldier looked confused. The older man scowled, then abruptly took a glass of ice water from the nightstand and threw it on sleeping man. Malcolm sputtered as his blue eyes snapped open. He shuddered from the shock of the cold water. The hooded figure looming over him bent closer as Merlyn tried to focus. As the features of the face became clearer, he took in a sharp breath.

"You failed us," the man sneered as he straightened up. "The vermin of the Glades still live to infest and contaminate this planet."

"But the device…"

"Silence!" The man roared as he stepped nearer. "One was not enough! Most of the infestation still lives! The Arrow still lives!"

Malcolm shrank back into the bedding, fearful of what could come next.

"I could try again, I have resources…"

"_We_ have your resources. Your fingerprints were all that we needed to transfer the money to our accounts."

"Then let me be of use, let me try again!"

The man stepped back, cocked his head as he looked down at Malcolm's ashen face, and thought. Finally he said, "Perhaps we will have some use for you and your connections." He placed his hand on the wounded shoulder and pressed. Malcolm fought to keep calm and not register the searing pain. An involuntary shudder passed through his body when the man lifted his hand.

"I have a son, Tommy," Malcolm pleaded. "Can you bring him here?"

The man stared at him for a moment, then laughed. He turned and left the room.

Malcolm strained to see the soldier standing at attention by his bed.

"Please, I need to find my son," he pleaded. "I can get more money. I just need to make sure he is safe, to see him and explain…"

The soldier snarled at the broken man on the bed. "Silence!"

Malcolm quieted, his eyes locked on the young man's face.

"You have no son," the soldier said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Malcolm whispered.

The soldier stared at the man's pleading eyes for a moment. "He's dead. He died in your earthquake."

Malcolm's eyes widened as his gut wrenched at the news. He fought to breathe. _Tommy!_ He shut his eyes and fell back into the bedding as a high keening cry escaped from his lips. _Tommy! Rebecca!_ Lost forever. The primal howl grew louder filling the small room. The soldier realized his mistake, shut the door, and moved quickly to the tray. He took the hypodermic, and injected his prisoner again. The patient fell back silent and still as the soft pulsation of the monitors continued. The soldier reassumed his position, alert and listening to the sounds in the corridor.

xxxxxxx

Oliver woke from his sleep feeling more rested. As he turned back towards the center of the room, he could see Diggle and Felicity in a low conversation, pointing to a diagram report on the computer screen. He pulled off the blanket, rubbed his eyes and stood up by the bed.

"What have you got?" He asked, "Any news about Merlyn's body?"

Diggle looked nervously at Felicity who turned back to the screen. "You better see this."

Oliver came closer and peered at the diagram. "What is that?"

"Do you remember that blood sample we sent to Quantico after you were attacked the first time by the Dark Archer? It finally came back and was in your email backlog."

"Yeah, but we don't need it now. We know the Archer was Malcolm."

Felicity nervously cleared her throat. "I set up an automated program to do blood matches to save us time in the investigation. It interfaced with other data bases: criminal, employment…"

"So?"

"It used markers to came up with blood profile matches," Felicity explained.

"So? Tommy was in the employment base. Come on, we have more important things…"

Diggle grimly interrupted, "That's not the problem."

Oliver rolled his eyes. "So spit it out! What did you find?"

"We found two blood relative marker profiles, Tommy was one."

"So who is the other one?"

"You, Oliver."

Oliver's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying?"

Diggle slowly stood up to face his friend. "What she is trying to tell you is that you and Tommy were half brothers. Robert Queen wasn't your genetic father, Oliver. Malcolm Merlyn is."

**_Reader's Note: Hope you enjoyed my little exploration. I always thought that Moira and Malcolm had a more interesting back-story, and Moria keeps secrets from everyone. Who knows where the storyline will go in the second season, but I'd love to see the Dark Archer back with a little Darth Vadar/Luke type synergy to add some interesting dynamics. If anyone likes this theory, take the idea and run with it as I don't have time to develop it myself._**

**___Disclaimer: _I'm not making money with this fanfic. The TV show of Arrow and the characters appearing within it belong to their producers and creators. Any similarities to living or dead persons are purely coincidental and not intended.**


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